Work clamp



E. RUCH WORK CLAMP July 25,- 1950 Filed May 27, 1948 Eugene Rue/1JNVENTOR.

BY flaw/Zia WWWv-MI- m Patented July 25, 1950 admire- 1 IPATENT "oEfFicE "WORK CLAMP JEugeneI-Ruch, FarmingtomMjch. .rApplication Mayi27,1948,.Serial No. 29,521

-3 Claims. 01390- 60 My invention 'relates'itto"improvements.in workclamps for setting up. work ofiround or polygonal *cross se'ctionin'drillpresses, especially,"although,

aswill presently appear; the invention is adapted tobelrsed otherwisethan in drill presses solely, for instance,...in. milling machines andsurface grinders.

.LThe primaryobject ofimyxinvention is to provide a V-block clampespeciallyzdesigned."tosleave the entire top of the work clear andreadily accessiblefor drilling, or tapping, regardless of the .sizeof'jthe stock and especially as regards stock of 'verysmall'cross-section.

.ZAnother object'is'to provide a clamp'of the type and for the purposespecifie'dfhavingat-least three sides of the block clear for use insetting up in a drill press, or the like, and with small sizes of stock,all four sides clear.

Still another object is to provide against parts of the clamp workingloose and rendering the clamp insecure.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview of my invention,together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readilyunderstood when the succeeding description and claims are read withreference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of thisspecification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in plan of my improved clamp in a preferredembodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in cross-section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in bottom plan.

Referring now to the drawings'by numerals, and first to Figures 1 to 3thereof, the work clamp of my invention comprises a rectangular block Iwith a V-groove 2 in the top and center thereof having side walls 3 inninety degree angular relation and a bottom, apex, channel 4 providingfor small cross-section stock, or work, seating firmly in the bottom ofsaid groove 2, in a manner which will be understood.

A pair of bores 5 extend downwardly in said block I at opposite sides ofthe groove 2 in downwardly converging relation, at an acute angle, withenlarged bottom ends 6. The bores 5 may be round, as shown, or otherwiseformed, and the angle of convergence thereof may vary as may be founddesirable. As will be understood, the bores 5 lie in a common plane at aright angle to the V-groove 2.

A pair of guide slots I extend from the walls 3 of the groove 2 to thebores 5 in the plane of said bores with bottoms diverging relativelyfrom said walls 3, adjacent the bottom of the groove '2; and at oppositesides ofthe' channel-"l-at'right angles' to'said'Wa11s'3. The purpose oftheslots will'presently be seen.

"A pair of clamps 9 are *providedin' the block I comprising a pair ofcylindrical clamp-stems 'l fifsh'orter than-the =bores- 5,-with axialbores II and --reduced lower end, counterbores I2 and which are slidablyfitted in said bores "5 with radialyupper end flat jaws- I3extendingthrough the-sl'ots 'I'part-way into the V-groove 2 in opposedspaced apart relation. The jaws I3 are *of'truncated cone shape toprovide outer, spaced apart; thin tips I l diverging' relativelyupwardly, "horizontal, aligned top edges I5,- and bottom edges I 3parallel with thebottoms 8 of the slots 1; e11 -for-a purpose presentlyexplained.

A pair of clamp operating screw bolts I! having heads I8 are threadedthrough the counter-bores I2 with the head I8 fitting in the enlargedbottom ends 6 of the bores 5 and locked in said ends by snap rings I9fitted in grooves 20 in said ends. Polygonal sockets 2I are formed inthe ends of the screw bolts I! for turning the same with a tool fromeither end.

In operating the described clamp, the clamps 9, by operation of thescrew bolt Il, at either end thereof, may be extended out of the topside of the block I to clamp large size work 22 in the V-groove 2, asshown by dotted lines in Figure 2. On the other hand, said clamps 9 maybe operated from either end entirely within the confines of the block Ito clamp small sizesof Work, as at 23, in the bottom of the V-groove 2.In all clamping operations of which the clamp is capable of performing,the work is gripped by the jaws I3 at opposite sides of the top of thework and said jaws are spaced apart sufficiently to clear the top onopposite sides of the vertical center of the work, for drilling, tappingor other purposes. The described shape of the jaws I3 and of the bottoms8 of the slots I provide for accomplishing this result with very smallwork, as illustrated in Figure 2. Except when the clamps 9 are extendedabove the top side of the block I, all sides of said block are clear foruse in setting the block in a drill press, or other metal workingmachine, and when the clamps 9 are retracted completely into the blockI, all sides of said block are then clear for the same purpose. The snaprings I 9 frictionally lock the screw bolt I'I against turning so thatthe clamps 9 are not liable to work loose. By having the top edges I5 ofthe jaws I3 horizontal and aligned, said jaws may be retracted into theblock I as soon as the stems are so retracted completely.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification,without departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention what is claimed as newisr. V

1. In a device of the Class described a polygonal block having a groovein one side thereof with side walls converging toward the bottom of thegroove for supporting elongated stock of difierent sizes incross-section, said walls having a pair of opposed co-planar slotstherein, a pair of opposed 4 jaws toward the bottom of said groove inrelatively converging paths and spaced apart relation to engage stock ofdifierent sizes with said jaws spaced apart, said means comprisingtubular stems for said jaws endwise slidable in said block, and screwfeed means for sliding said stems.

3. In a device of the class described a polygonal block having a groovein one side thereof with side walls converging toward the bottom of thegroove for supporting elongated stock of different sizes incross-section, said walls having a flat jaws slidable edgewise in saidslots toward the bottom of said groove at opposite sides of the same andprojecting out of said slots to engage the stock and clamp the sameagainst said walls, andvmanipulative means for moving said jaws towardthe bottom of said groove in relatively converging paths and spacedapart relation to engage stock of different sizes with said jaws spacedapart.

;of the same and projecting out of said slots to engage the stock andclamp the same against said walls, and manipulative means for movingsaid pair of opposed co-planar slots therein, a, pair of opposed fiatjaws slidable edgewise in said slots toward the bottom of said groove atopposite sides of the same and projecting out of said slots to engagethestock and clamp the same against said walls, and manipulative meansfor moving said jaws toward the bottom of said groove in relativelyconverging paths and spaced apart relation to engage stock of differentsizes with said jaws spacedrapart, said means comprising stems forsaidjaws endwise slidable in said block, screw feed means for slidingsaid stems, and friction locking means for said screw feed means.

EUGENE RUCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

